Climate expert slams Australia's energy 'policy vacuum'

A climate expert has warned that we are falling behind our global counterparts and that thousands of jobs could be stripped from the economy. Credit: GETTY

A "policy vacuum" on renewable energy is causing Australia to fall far behind global counterparts and could strip thousands of jobs from the economy, a climate expert believes.

The Climate Council's head of research Martin Rice insists it is "mind-boggling" that Australia is still focusing on a carbon-based economy when renewables are cheaper.

Watch in the video above: Harnessing the power of the wind

"We could power the country 500 times over with the solar and wind capacity in Australia (and) it's already the cheapest new form of energy," he told AAP.

"We have everything we need at our disposal; there's just a lack of political will to move forward.

"There's a policy vacuum in Australia."

Australia's continued reliance on coal will kill the Great Barrier Reef, a climate expert says. Credit: AAP

Dr Rice believes global warming from Australia's continued reliance on coal will kill the Great Barrier Reef, along with associated jobs in tourism and related industries.

He says the United Kingdom has already proven offshore wind is a viable economical alternative, and it also solved concerns about the aesthetics of onshore wind farms.

Offshore wind costs in the UK have dropped significantly in the last year, and the creation of new wind farms typically take about one third of the time needed to build a nuclear plant or coal-fired power station, he says.

The industry is already starting to benefit regional towns in the UK like Grimsby, which is slowly seeing a revival of its once-bustling fishing port as the offshore wind sector moves in.

Stephen Wyatt from Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, which fosters innovation in the wind industry, said it had bipartisan support from the UK government because it will help meet the 2050 net zero emissions target.

"If costs are coming down so significantly for offshore wind and we're seeing the economic benefits associated with the industry, particularly in poorer coastal communities, why wouldn't you do more of this?" Dr Wyatt asked.